Japanese Satsuki Azalea (Kurume Hybrid) 'Nuccio's Plum Purty' 1 Gallon Pre-Bonsai Tree

Species: Rhododendron indicum (Kurume hybrid) 'Nuccio's Plum Purty'
Estimated Age: About 4 - 5 Years
Height: About 8 - 9 Inches
Trunk Size: About 1/4 - 1/2 Inch
Lighting: Full Shade to Partial Shade
Type: Evergreen
Difficulty: Easy to Medium

The Japanese Satsuki is easily one of the most popular of flowering bonsai choices: featuring an excellent low, twiggy habit with lovely funnel shaped unscented flowers in primarily white, pink, red and purple shades. The Satsuki is identified by two blossoms on the end of the branch shoots plus they also have slightly hairy leaves budding out freely from even fairly old bark wood. Most of them have compact branches and are slow growing. They usually have bright to medium green shiny oval shaped leaves with a soft pointed end. Even though they tolerate colder climates better, they are sensitive to high heat temperatures and require some shade to protect it from leaf burn and petal burn from the sun. Great to take care of indoors!

'Nuccio's Plum Purty' is one of the great Kurume hybrid varieties that we originally got from Nuccio's Nurseries a long while ago that we've started to develop into a bonsai style. We thought that this was suitable to introduce into use as a flowering bonsai choice thanks to its gorgeous medium purple blooms. It's a prolific bloomer that can cover most of the branches in single bell shaped smaller flowers. The natural compact growth makes it easy to start broom or cloud styled bonsai with this variety.

In general, they enjoy more acidic soil (such as Kanuma at around pH level 5.5 to 6) with good drainage to let its fine feeder roots breathe. Satsuki Azaleas don't enjoy being soaked all of the time. An infrequent deep soaking is more effective than superficial sprinkling everyday. Please water them thoroughly from top to bottom to fully saturate the soil to help keep the soil moist but not soggy. They don't enjoy dry soil nor lime. It becomes especially important in hard-water areas to water them with rainwater or filtered water only to avoid lime deposits building up in the soil.

As needed, a fungicidal spray in the spring time as the buds show color will control “petal blight”, a fungal disease that appears as discolored dots on the petals and quickly discolors and collapses the blossoms. To avoid cutting off next year’s flower buds, do major pruning of Satsuki Azaleas soon after they bloom. Shortening or removal of long slender stems with no side shoots and cutting out dead wood may be done at any time.

Depending on the individual tree, the Japanese Satsuki Azaleas may have either a single trunk or multi trunk look to them. It's a 1 gallon tree size.